ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday restrained police and other authorities from arresting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja following his petition alleging harassment and unlawful attempts to arrest him.

Mr Raja, appearing in person, claimed that he had no knowledge of any FIR registered against him in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) or Punjab.

He further revealed that an attempt was made by Punjab police to arrest him in Lahore the previous day, leading him to fear imminent detention.

Acknowledging the urgency of the matter, the court issued notices to key respondents, including the inspector generals of Islamabad and Punjab, directing them to provide a comprehensive list of FIRs, if any, registered against the petitioner.

The advocate general of Islamabad was instructed to coordinate with his Punjab counterpart to ensure a full report is submitted.

In the interim, the court granted the petitioner relief by restraining authorities from arresting or facilitating his arrest until the next hearing, scheduled for next week.

In another development, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) handed 19 individuals arrested during the recent D-Chowk protests to police custody for four days.

The suspects, apprehended during a police operation on the night between Thursday and Friday, were presented before ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra at 10:30pm on Friday.

The police requested a 10-day physical remand, citing the need for further investigation into the protesters’ alleged involvement in violent acts during the demonstrations.

After deliberation, the court approved a four-day physical remand instead of the full period requested by the police.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2024